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Monday,
November 25, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Centre
shuts eyes to Rs 3-cr loss TRIBUNE SPECIAL
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Shiv
Sainiks set NCP vehicle ablaze in Delhi
Cong’s Ojha to face Modi Another
blast suspect shot Common
approach for G-20 emphasised Charge
sheets filed against JMM leaders
Udit Raj
floats Justice Party US company sues NDTV,
Zee for ‘copying’ Rare
award for Delhi professor
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Centre shuts eyes to Rs 3-cr loss New Delhi, November 24 According to sources, despite the obvious difference being reflected by other suppliers to the CRPF and the MHA officials, a go ahead has been given for the procurement of the disruptive pattern fabric to be used for combat uniform from a small manufacturer. While some of the established textile mills have offered to supply better quality material with the required disruptive pattern at a price which is almost Rs 30 per metre less than the price at which the tender has been passed, the authorities concerned are sticking to the decision which would lead to a loss of almost Rs 3 crore. Reports suggest that not only senior Home Ministry officials but also CRPF officials are interested in the supply orders going to the manufacturer who not only made the sample initially, but was the only one to have met the “requirements” as sought in the tender. Sources said the MHA and the CRPF officials were justifying the high pricing of the fabric apparently on the basis of orders which were placed by ordnance factories which although had a disruptive pattern but on water repellent fabric. This special kind of fabric undergoes treatment through special chemicals. Incidentally, reports say that the material being supplied for the combat uniform is apparently not being treated for water repellence effect and even the particular supplier has never been part of the bidding for fabric sought by the ordnance factories as only three to four reputed and established textile mills have acquired this specialisation. The CRPF has chosen to buy 10 lakh metres of “disruptive pattern” uniform which is apparently much inferior in quality to which is normally used by other forces and has been ‘tendered’ to the manufacturer at a cost which is much higher than even the best selected by the Army. As against the normal supply cost of Rs 70 per metre, that too on the higher side, the force has cleared the tender for 10 lakh metres of disruptive pattern material reportedly at the cost of Rs 98 per metre. Such conditions were also reportedly created which favoured only the initial ‘sample’ manufacturer. It in fact left him as the only bidder after the tender (No.U 11501/2002-03/ proc) was floated. The force not only selected the pattern under the alleged influence of the sample manufacturer, but also did not reportedly provide the sample material to other manufacturers, including established fabric producers. Incidentally, while floating the tender the CRPF laid conditions that the bidder must submit the same with the same print as selected by it while submitting the tender. But since no sample was provided, none of the established textile mills and suppliers could bid for the order. |
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TRIBUNE SPECIAL
Chandigarh, November 24 The states have been diverting only a part of the money
so generated for afforestation purposes. For example, some of the
states in north would release only Rs 12,500 an acre for afforestation
against Rs 40,000 per acre received. Even in cases of catchment area
treatment plants, the utilisation of funds would be either inadequate
or at such a slow place that user agencies would refuse to release
subsequent instalment in the absence of utilisation certificate of the
previous instalment. Both Haryana and Himachal Pradesh figure high on
the defaulters list prepared by the Central Empowered Committee. But
now onwards, the compensatory afforestation funds (CAF) received in
lieu of the diversion of forest area for non-forestry purposes and
which have either not been realised or not been spent by the states
concerned shall now be transferred to a body to be constituted by the
Central Government. This landmark directive of the Supreme Court
early this month follows reports that the states were either not
realising the CAF or were not “utilising the funds for the purpose
for which these were being generated.” A large number of states
figured in the defaulters’ list as they recorded poor progress in
utilisation of the said funds and had not submitted quarterly progress
reports. The apex court has also revised the net value of the forest
land to be diverted for non-forest purposes from the present rate of
Rs 5.80 lakh per hectare to Rs 9.20 lakh per hectare. This will be
further subject to upward revision by the Ministry of Environment and
Forests in consultation with the Central Empowered Committee. Sources
in the Ministry of Environment and Forests reveal that the quantum of
unutilised or unrealised CAF may run into several hundred crores as
the states have no mechanism to ensure proper utilisation of funds so
generated. It was recommended that a separate CAF be created wherein
all the money received from the user agencies is deposited and
subsequently released directly to the implementing agencies. The funds
received from a particular state shall be used in the same state. The
apex court upheld this recommendation of the Central Empowered
Committee which had gone through the scheme prepared by the Ministry
of Environment and Forests. Before the decision to constitute a
central body to monitor the CAF was taken, almost all the states and
the union territories consented to the proposal as it was agreed that
this fund “will not be a part of general revenue of the union or the
states or part of the consolidated fund of India.” The apex court
wants the Union Government to frame comprehensive rules within next
eight weeks (by end of the current calendar year) with regard to the
constitution of a body of management of the CAF in concurrence with
the Central Empowered Committee. The rules so framed shall be filed in
the Supreme Court within eight weeks. The court further directed that
the CAF would mean money received from the user agencies towards
compensatory afforestation, additional compensatory afforestation,
penal compensatory afforestation, net present value of forest land and
catchment area treatment plan funds. In this the diverted land falls
within. Protected Areas, i.e. areas notified under Section 18, 26A
or 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the CAF would be
utilised for undertaking activities related to protection of
bio-diversity, wildlife, etc., shall also be deposited in the
fund. The user agencies, especially the major public sector
undertakings, including Power Grid Corporation and NTPC, which
frequently require forest land for their projects should also be
involved in undertaking compensatory afforestation by establishing
special purpose vehicle. The court also wants the plantations to have
local and indigenous species since exotic ones have long term negative
impact on the environment. |
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Shiv Sainiks set NCP vehicle ablaze in Delhi New Delhi, November 24 About four to five persons poured petrol on a party vehicle parked outside the NCP headquarters on Bishambar Dass Marg in the high security VVIP zone of the capital, police sources said. A door of the building was also damaged in the blaze, which was immediately brought under control, the sources said. No one except a security guard was present at the time of the incident, the sources said adding that the fire brigade, police officials and senior party leaders have rushed to the spot. The protesters reportedly did not raise any slogans and fled after setting ablaze the vehicle. Meanwhile, Delhi Shiv Sena chief Jai Bhagawan Goel claimed that he was not aware of the incident. “There are lakhs of Shiv Sainiks in Delhi. May be someone could have reacted to the Maharashtra incident. But I am not aware of it,” Mr Goel said. They have heard and seen the house burning news of Maharashtra’s ex-Chief Minister’s house in Mumbai. Such reaction of Shiv Sainiks is not surprising, Mr Goel said. Mr Rane’s house in Kankavli
town was set afire after NCP activists clashed with Shiv Sena workers late on Friday night. A local NCP leader was killed in the clash. |
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Cong’s Ojha to face Modi New Delhi, November 24 Mr Ojha, a lawyer, is the President of the Gujarat High Court Bar Association. He was twice elected on a BJP ticket from Sabarmati constituency. However, he fell out of favour of the BJP leadership and resigned from the Assembly in mid 2000. In the Sabarmati constituency by-elections, Mr Ojha openly campaigned for the Congress candidate, Mr Narhari Amin, who got elected. Mr Ojha resigned from the BJP a year ago following serious differences with Mr Keshubhai Patel, the then Chief Minister, and also raised the issue of rampant corruption in the party.
UNI |
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Another blast suspect shot
Hyderabad, November 24 He was killed on the outskirts of Karimnagar town in retaliatory police fire after he shot at a patrol party, Director-General of Police P. Ramulu told reporters. Imran is the second key suspect in the blast to be killed in police encounter. Yesterday another suspected LeT militant Mohammad Azam, who confessed to his and Imran’s involvement in the blast, was killed in an encounter with the police in Rangareddy district when he attacked policemen. The two were the main suspects in the blast near the Sai Baba temple on the city outskirts which left one dead and 21 injured, the DGP said. Narrating the sequence of events, Mr Ramulu said, “Imran had absconded from his old city residence after the blast took place and was found in Karimnagar last night”. Riding on a bicycle, Imran panicked and started running when a police patrol stopped him for frisking at the Rekurthi crossroads. When the police chased him to a certain distance, Imran turned back and opened fire. Meanwhile, a powerful Muslim party has decided to protest against the killings of two suspects allegedly involved in a blast that killed a person here, saying that the police had shot them in cold blood. “We will not keep quiet against these extra-judicial killings,” warned Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) in the state Assembly. His statement came on Sunday as the police gunned down the second suspect in the blast near a Hindu temple three days ago. “The second youth is police’s next target,” was the headline of the Urdu newspaper Siasat. Newspapers claimed that Imran was in police custody and the police was planning to eliminate him. They carried statements from MIM leaders, appealing to the police not to harm the second youth. But on Sunday he too was killed.
PTI, IANS |
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Common approach for G-20 emphasised New Delhi, November 24 Speaking at the G-20 Finance Ministers meeting here, yesterday Mr Jaswant Singh said the meeting had taken place in a situation of “prolonged global slowdown and financial crisis in several parts of the world”. “For these, solutions can be found in a spirit of cooperation, consultation and collaboration. It is this spirit that has been the hallmark of this forum”, he said. Pointing out that the G-20 member countries accounted for 81 per cent of the world GDP, 63 per cent of the world trade and 95 per cent of global capital flows, Mr Jaswant Singh said: “It has greatly facilitated building up consensus”. “A distinguishing feature of this group has been the platform that it provides for bringing together policy makers of developed and systematically important emerging market economies. This has greatly facilitated building up consensus, formulating a shared vision and calibrating a common approach to issues of contemporary relevance in the wider interest of humanity”, he said. Underlining the “high expectations” from the meeting, the Finance Minister said the meeting would deepen the understanding of the world economy in “collectively and constructively sharing the common aspirations”. |
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Charge sheets filed against JMM leaders New Delhi, November 24 In separate charge-sheets filed in a Special Court here, the probe agency accused Mr Mandal and Mr Marandi of being in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 65.14 lakh and Rs 41.72 lakh, respectively, during the period when they were public servants. |
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NEWS ANALYSIS Chennai, November 24 At its meeting last night following an all-party session, the Karnataka Cabinet decided to withdraw cases pending against Mani now in detention to enable him to meet Veerappan, but the state government faces many legal hurdles before Mani is released. Three of the cases against him are pending in the Supreme Court, while two others are before the lower courts in Karnataka. What the Karnataka Government can do at best is not to oppose any bail applications moved on behalf of Mani. It will be up to the courts to take a decision, but Karnataka ministers are saying legal experts who had been consulted on the issue have advised that there is no legal barrier. But the process of getting Mani released may take some time, and the Karnataka Government is hoping that Veerappan, who had given a deadline of 12 days, may agree to an extension. Information Minister Thimmappa has said there is no plan to pay a ransom to secure the release of Mr Nagappa. The Karnataka Government was obviously faced with the Hobson’s choice in the background of the pressure from the Nagappa family and the consensus reached at the all-party meeting in favour of sending Mani as the emissary to Veerappan. As if the hostage crisis is not enough to unnerve the Karnataka Government, allegations by former state Director-General of Police C. Dinakar that a ransom of Rs 20 crore was paid to Veerappan to secure the release of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar two years ago have placed the Chief Minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, in an embarrassing position. The state government has dismissed as “baseless and full of lies” the story published in a book by Mr Dinakar. Mr Thimmapa has told reporters that there was “total transparency” in the methods adopted by the state government for securing the release of Mr Rajkumar. He recalled that the late Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel, had suggested that Mr Dinakar should be tested by a psychiatrist. But the former police officer stands by his claim, retorting that Patel had been known for his “senile comments”, including one on wine and women. The 318-page book by Mr Dinakar has revealed that a sum of Rs 20 crore was paid to Veerappan as ransom in four instalments through various people. The first three instalments of ransom were Rs 5 crore each, handed over by Mr Krishna’s kin twice and once by then DGP Jayaprakash. Mr Rajkumar’s wife Parvathiamma sent Rs 1 crore to Chennai and it was “given” in the residence of the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr M. Karunanidhi, besides Rs 2 crore handed over personally by her to granite trader Bhanu in Bangalore. According to Mr Dinakar, Mr Krishna had spoken to Veerappan twice on the mobile phone. “Veerappan was in a very happy mood,” he says in his book. “What has given him thrill is his talking to Mr Krishna.” Mr Dinakar claims that Veerappan told Mr Krishna about the release, and “Mr Krishna thanks Veerappan rather profusely.” In Chennai, Mr Karunanidhi denied that any ransom had been paid to secure the release of Mr Rajkumar. As far as he knew, there was no money transaction involved between the two state governments and Veerappan. “Many DGPs, after retirement, have written like this about Chief Ministers they worked with,” he said. |
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Udit Raj floats Justice Party New Delhi, November 24 Announcing this at a well-attended Dalit rally here, Mr Raj said: “socio-religious organisations have certain limitations. Formation of a political party is necessary for reconstruction of the country and integration of the marginalised people into the mainstream.” Outlining the agenda of his party, he said it would work for “compulsory and equal education to all and abolition of the caste system.”
PTI |
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US company sues NDTV, Zee for ‘copying’
New Delhi, November 24 A Rs 20-lakh damage suit against the New Delhi Television (NDTV) and Zee Telefilms by a California production company in the Delhi High Court has claimed so. The California company “This Is Your Life (TIYL)”, whose radio programme under the same title made a debut on radio in the USA in 1950 and converted into a TV programme in 1952, has alleged that NDTV’s programme — “Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai” (JIKNH) telecast by Zee — is the copy of the same. Mr Justice R.C. Chopra has issued notices to NDTV and the Zee on the suit filed by the California company and asked them to submit their replies by December 12. Accusing NDTV and Zee of copyright, trademarks and intellectual property rights violations, the TIYL alleged that the show on Indian TV “combines a number of distinctive and original elements of its worldwide popular programme, which was hosted by noted radio and TV personality Ralph Edwards. The programme on Zee TV, hosted by Bollywood actor Farooq Sheikh, has been inviting politicians, sportspersons, film personalities businessmen, professionals, authors, artists and others who had made a mark for themselves and traces their personal and professional lives. Prominent among those who so far had featured in the programme include former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, cricketers Kapil Dev, Saurav Ganguly, Infosys chief N R Narayan Murthy, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, actresses Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty and scores of others. The California company, which said its programme, “This Is Your Life” had been aired and broadcast in numerous countries including the UK, New Zealand and Australia for several seasons and its presenter Ralph Edward won several awards, was vested with the intellectual property rights along with the host. The other countries where its ownership rights extend include Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China, the US company’s counsel Manmohan Singh in a complaint said. Pointing out a series of
similarities between the two programmes, he alleged the fundamental features in which a celebrity is subjected to intense questioning on his life, which unfolds through family members, friends, colleagues and other guests who have close relations with him or her, were the same as in the TIYL.
PTI |
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Rare award for Delhi professor Chandigarh, November 24 Named after the founder of modern Japanese haiku, Masaoka Shiki, this award was established at the Haiku Convention in Matsuyama in 1999. It is conferred on people who have made the most remarkable contribution to the development of awareness about the creativity of haiku, irrespective of nationality or language. The Rawalpindi-born Punjabi professor has already received the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Ray with Rossette, from the Japanese Emperor for promoting better understanding between India and Japan. Professor Verma’s track record is exemplary. He has a number of publications, including books and articles, on haiku poetry of Japan in Hindi, English and Japanese, to his credit. He is also the author of the first Japanese-Hindi dictionary published in Japan. He has received 11 literary awards in his own country and has the distinction of being the first professor of the Japanese language and literature in India. |
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